I created a super simple technique for keeping myself in check. Whenever I’m wondering “Why is my life not like I want it?” or “Why am I in the situation(s) I’m in?” – I go to my go-to practice: I face myself in the mirror and ask, “What’s my motive?” Asking this question presents me with the opportunity to rethink, reevaluate, and review my words and/or deeds. Looking in the mirror to help you define your truth is a practice. Fortunately, it’s one that gets easier the more you do it. And with time, the need to carry out this practice noticeably decreases. Looking in the mirror with the intention of honest self-assessment is a great step toward accountability, which is an important part of defining your truth. That’s because it helps you to: ·      take stock of where you are and reflect on your strengths and weaknesses ·      identify areas where you need to develop an adjustment plan for how to respond if you’re presented with a similar situation moving forward ·      acknowledge when you’re acting from personal biases or out of revenge, anger, spitefulness, entitlement, selfishness, insecurity, pettiness, envy, or jealousy - Feel free to add to this list. ·      limit prolonged periods of denial . . . you know, those times when your head is buried in the sand ·      enhance your self-trust, which results from asking yourself tough questions. (Asking the question suggests that you can handle your truth.) Get to the point where “checking your motives” (whether you’re actually standing in front of a mirror or not) becomes second nature …. and you’ll soon discover that living your truth is a positive consequence of having defined it.   Thank you for listening. I appreciate you. www.LaurieTALKS.com Audio Engineer: @k.sounds.audio @LaurieTALKS TAP IN to Your Full Potential

Laurie Talks

Looking in the Mirror to Help You Define Your Truth | EP 31

A few days ago I was on the phone with one of my nieces. Somehow, somewhere in our long conversation, she suggested that I, LaurieTALKS, have little to show for all the years of effort I’ve dedicated to my career. My reaction to this bomb my niece dropped on me? To spontaneously record this episode. My dear Big Dreamer, one day you may encounter someone who doesn’t know what you know. Or see what you see. Or both. When that someone proceeds to share their opinion of you, remember this: You know what’s possible for your life — because you hold the vision for transforming your dream into a reality.  Here are a few more takeaways. Your voyage is personal. Another person’s point of view, their thoughts and opinions, have little to do with you — especially if these leave you feeling low. Or depleted. Or broken.  When a person gives you feedback, if your response is to constructively self-explore, that’s one thing. If you respond by doubting yourself, that’s entirely different. Even when the person’s intentions are noble, if their feedback leaves you disbelieving your own everything, you absolutely must drawback from a potential cramp in your roll.  Exploring and sharing your creative voice requires patience . . . patience with the aspects of the world around you that you can’t control. If you occasionally ask yourself, “How am I going to make it?” or “Can I really build a life and a living around my artistry?” — you’re not alone. These are questions many artists have had at one time or another.  And finally, remaining brave is part of the process. It’s through trying, testing, and experimenting that we sometimes learn what we don’t want in life. Regarding that phone call and my niece’s comment about what I have and haven’t accomplished to date . . .  it was perfect. Because it brought me right here to this moment. Right here and now — with you.  Thank you for listening. Please consider leaving a comment on Apple Podcast. I appreciate reading your impressions. Content guide for this show/episode: LaurieTALKS talks for the first seven minutes.  Musical guest* @officialvitalmentality plays for five minutes. No ads or sponsorships in this episode. @k.sounds.audio . . . Mr. John Johnson, y'all.  @sam_navarro *If you have audio you’d like to submit for play at the end of a LaurieTALKS, please submit it to music@LaurieTALKS.com. Thank you. 

What to Do When People Tell You About You: Unsolicited Input | EP 30

The other day, my niece, Elle Brown, and I was chatting by phone. At one point, Elle conducted a quick interview, asking me questions like . . . What’s the one thing nobody knows about you? What is it that makes you so motivated to live your best life? Where do you pull from for your strength? In this episode, you’ll find out . . . How the Covid-19, stay-at-home period led Brie to notice that I’m the same person I’ve always been Why creating a job instead of having a job is something you might want to consider How remaining silent in the face of drama can help you stay focused on your dream and goals What the sit-in movement was as part of the larger civil rights movement in the U.S. How misery can serve as a motivation to move your life forward Why bringing your best self forward is so important – especially when you’re looking in the mirror Why I deleted a podcast episode a year after posting it Why it took me so long to start a podcast How to accept honest feedback about the content you create Why on Thanksgiving Day my brother said to me, “Remind me never to invite you to go out with me, especially to my friends’ homes, ever again.” What’s the latest scoop on my explorations for dance in Virtual Reality Thank you for listening, my friend. I appreciate you. TAP IN to Your Full Potential www.LaurieTALKS.com @k.sounds.audio @LaurieTALKS

How Misery Can Motivate You, Make You Put Your Best Foot Forward, Help You Start a Podcast, and More | EP 29

This is my second recording of Episode 28. I posted the first version and realized 24 hours later that I’d forgotten to make my point. During the first recording, I was so committed to sharing the details of my favorite organizational program, called Trello, that I failed to explain why it’s important to give some attention to how we organize our lives.   Access to additional and diverse resources have made creative entertainment industries like fashion, modeling, and the performing arts more democratized. There are new opportunities to chart new courses. As a result, the individual is more empowered than ever before. Creatives of all ages and backgrounds have greater options for forging the life of their dreams. Yet the democratizing of creative industries … the new opportunities and greater options … have brought about massive changes in the work-life model. And for people encountering these changes, now’s a good time to ramp up their life management organization.  Test new organizational programs that will help you accomplish this. I do love Trello. My Trello boards were primarily all I TALKed about on the first posted version of this podcast episode. Organization (on any level and in any area) boosts productivity, reduces stress, provides clarity of thought, and increases your peace of mind. Even when just a small part of your life is organized, you get all the benefits. With the way the world is operating now – nonstop distraction – it’s critical that we use our mental bandwidth intentionally. Remain deliberate. Direct your life where you want it to go. TAP IN to Your Full Potential Thanks for listening.  @k.sounds.audio @anindo13 @adaawemusic @LaurieTALKS  

Ramping Up Organization in Your Life | EP 28

Sarah Anindo Marshall say that “Art is medicine” because it pulls from real-life experiences. Whether you write, sing, paint, act, dance, or play an instrument, the arts help you tell your story. For Sarah, the idea of art being medicine became a kind of seed. And that seed became a dream … a dream to help children in her hometown of Luanda, Kenya, get an education in the arts and sciences. Now she’s tending—or caring for—her dream, just as a gardener tends a garden: Sarah is building that school in Luanda. Your “seed” may simply be an idea you wrote years ago on the back of a napkin. But that’s something. Make that seed become a dream. Then keep that dream alive by nurturing and loving it as if it were a garden. @anindo13 https://www.marshalldancecompany.org – Please consider becoming a villager for ABUKUTSA ARTS ACADEMY. Adaawemusic.com @KatherineDunham @officialdadance #gloriakaufmanschoolofdance https://kaufman.usc.edu

Debbie Allen Dance Teacher, USC Professor & My Awesome Friend, Sarah Anindo Marshall | EP 27

Andrea Liebross is consistent, focused, and disciplined in her own life and I asked her how she does it. Her reply? Time management begins with mind management. How you manage your time is a direct reflection of how you manage your mind. Listen in as Andrea provides useful mind management tips to help you figure out what to do with the 60 to 70 thousand thoughts you have on average every day. Andrea Liebross is your accomplishment coach, trusted partner, and strategic ally. She provides clients with sustainability tools to define and achieve success.  I've worked with a few coaches. I'm a fan.  https://andrealiebross.com https://activateherawesome.com – Krista Smith - offering website design and brand strategy.  

Mind Management Organizes Time Management, Andrea Liebross | EP 26

Artistry is on the upswing. As you continue to define success for yourself, I'm sharing 6 ideas relating to the importance of: Pushing past yourself Coping as a way of life Selecting either a creator or consumer mindset while scanning social media Not believing your own hype Not fretting the details ... and  Making room in your everyday life for your dream  Let's go. Listen now. Carry on in excellence. 

6 Ideas For Developing Your Big Dreamer Growth Mindset | EP 25

Whatever it is you're seeking, is seeking you - especially if you're on Clubhouse. Welcome and thanks for listening. I'm coming up on my 2-month CH anniversary. CH is like an iPhone party line with no photos or videos. There are voices from around the globe.Some people blush their first time on stage. As an audience member you may blush from feeling like you're listening in on someone else's phone conversation, except - legally.More to come. TALK soon. My New and Exciting Clubhouse Connects: Paul Porter Cheryl SutherlandDestruckshawnMalik Deshawn

My First 6 Weeks, 2 Months on Clubhouse - Clubhouse TALK from LaurieTALKS

There’s a great joy in being a present day artist. There’s fire behind you and safety ahead. Dream beyond your previous dreams because there’s no limit to what you can put into play.Expand your creativity while maintaining your sanity:There’s no rush on your life. Life takes time.That gut feeling you’re destined for something great? It's real. Hold that thought.  Personal growth and development require deliberate and intentional effort.Moving as a person of right action is awesome. Doing good is its own reward.Routines may help manage stress during this “safer at home” time zone.Message to my beautiful big dreamer:Remain an active participant in your personal revolution.Seek high ground for your mental atmosphere. See what you want. Name it. Claim it. Create it. 

5 Tips for Big Dreamers EP | 23

I built a webpage for mother at: www.laurietalks.com/adelejohnsonMy mother recently passed away from natural causes. She was surrounded by her children. My mom was dedicated to the performing arts, to fitness, holding down life like a boss, stretching dollars…all while being a single mom. She also owned a dance studio.Gratitude works. Resting in gratitude is what has kept me going through life’s tough times, times like this. Let us be grateful for the “small” obvious things – that you can breathe, that you can move your body, that you know where your next meal is coming from…Gratitude is what keeps us in the present moment. And believing is what makes dreams come true.Believe in gratitude and you’ll do more than just get through the tough times.I'm grateful to you. Talk soon. Love, LaurieTalksMother's page: www.laurietalks.com/adelejohnson

Mourning Mother | EP 22

SELF-LOVE IS AN ONGOING PRACTICEThis has been a tough season for a lot of people, including me. There's Covid-19, racial tensions, and I’ve got family tensions I’m dealing with too. What you’ll hear is a bit of a self-pep talk. I reminisce about other tough times I’ve been through and how I got myself through to the other side by practicing self-love. Key word? Practice.  Like many aspects of life, self-love requires practice, which if you’re a dancer, is something you know how to do extremely well. Improving in dance and in real life share some parallels. 

3 Practices for Self-Love | EP 21

Have you ever had someone speak hard words of truth to you? Once upon a time I got a tongue lashing from my mom after telling her the truth. Why? Because the truth was an ugly truth. I was settling for less than what she and I knew I was capable of. That tongue lashing sent me into some deep soul-searching. It was painful at the time, but not as painful as continuing on the path I was on. Good day. 

New Priorities, New Balance | EP 20

Kim has toured with Beyoncé and was taught by black dance instructors. What’s beautiful, though, is that she wants to do something more to help end racism. She’s been speaking out on social media, reminding us all what matters most. Kim and I agree that there’s a lot to be optimistic about. People are taking a stand, and those that don’t know how to stand are asking, “What can I do?” The youth of today are tuned in, and they place a higher value on equality than we’ve seen in generations past. So, take heart! Weeping lasts for a season but joy will follow. And in the end, Love will win out. Love, Laurie

Speaking Up about Racism with Kim Gingras | EP 19

I was feeling numb. I headed to my desk to record a podcast. My sister called. During this 20-min conversation she continued to chop ingredients for her salad. We TALK:- Protesting- Tap dance shoes- Money destroying passion- Cursing on a podcast- The benefits of using a wooden cutting board while recording a podcast, and- The devil in print: the officer with his knee on the neck of George FloydAdele - motherKevin - brotherLousie – sisterRege’ – LaurieTalks

Positively Angry, A Conversation with My Sister, Lisa | EP 018

Jeff believes that everyone has a dream and that each of us has a responsibility to protect and nurture that dream. His it’s-up-to-you attitude is raw and empowering. His message is one of discipline, hard work, creating your own luck, and bringing positive energy to all that you do. Even if it’s only cleaning the toilet.

Building Your Dance Career Dream with Jeff Amsden | EP 017

Self-leadership is the order of the day. Hello, I’m @laurietalks. Welcome to our call-in podcast. Call me and we’ll talk your agenda. Let’s collaborate on relationships, DIY, entrepreneurship, dance studio business (including the drama), dark chocolate, education, black-girl hair, self care, tech, personal growth, authoring books, dance, tap dance, and of course, all that is Tremaine. Phone lines open Wednesdays.

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Laurie Talks

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